WINDSOR - A year after Nik Antropov was shipped out of Toronto, will his buddy Alexei Ponikarovsky also be on the move come the March trade deadline?

If Maple Leafs president Brian Burke does, in fact, hold on to slick puck-moving defenceman Tomas Kaberle, there are indications from around the league that Ponikarovsky would be the one remaining Toronto player who would fetch the most in a deal.

But those who think the veteran forward might net Burke a late first-round pick likely are living in a dream world.

In an informal survey of NHL executives and general managers conducted by The Toronto Sun at the 2010 NHL/CHL Top Prospects Game at the WFCU Centre in Windsor on Wednesday, Ponikarovsky was the one Leaf not named Tomas Kaberle who respondents felt would land Toronto the most lucrative return.

"I think you might be able to get a late second-round pick for him," one GM said. "He's a big body guy who could go to the dirty areas in front of the net. He has some good hands too.

"I don't think you would get much more than that. He's not as refined as Antropov."

Antropov was shipped to the New York Rangers 11 months ago as part of a trade that gave the Leafs a second-round pick in 2009 and a conditional selection in 2010.

The Leafs used the pick from the Rangers (50th overall) to take Kenny Ryan, a 6-foot,

180-pound right winger from the U.S. Under-18 national development team. Ryan, now with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires, has eight goals and 13 assists in 30 games this season.

Ponikarovsky entered Thursday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning with 18 goals, a pace that would allow him to easily smash his career high of 23 established last season. A pending unrestricted free agent this summer, Ponikarovsky earns a reasonable $2.5 million US this season and, according to one league exec, "might make an attractive rent-a-player."

Kaberle and Ponikarovsky aside, the two most often mentioned names by respondents were forwards Lee Stempniak and Matt Stajan.

"Stempniak and Stajan might get a sniff too, but there is not much after that," another GM said. "I heard that Burkie has thrown their names out there as well as Ponikarovsky's but it's my understanding he hasn't really been pushing them too hard on anyone."

Stempniak and Stajan both become UFAs on July 1. Stempniak carries a 2009-10 salary of $3.5 million US while Stajan is making $1.75 million this season.

Meanwhile, as the braintrusts of many teams watched Team Cherry upend Team Orr 4-2 from the comfort of one of the spiffy new arena's many private boxes Wednesday night, Leafs director of amateur scouting Dave Morrison and his staff sat in the stands.

"We like being among the people," Morrison said with a chuckle. "I think Brian likes it that way."

With vice-president of hockey operations Dave Poulin in attendance, the Leafs held their scouting meetings here earlier this week. The Leafs have only four picks in the 2010 draft - the highest being a third rounder - but Morrison said the staff is proceeding as if the organization owns a full cache of selections.

"We are ranking and scouting guys from No. 1 down," Morrison said. "Knowing Brian's history of transactions, it wouldn't surprise me if we acquire more by the (June) draft.

"If not, well, sometimes you have to try to hit a home run if you don't have so many picks."

The Leafs surrendered first-round picks in 2010 and 2011 plus a second-rounder in '10 to land Phil Kessel from Boston.

"When we made the deal for Phil, Brian talked to me ahead of time," Morrison said. "I was fine with it. I mean, this kid is a very talented player who is still very young."